Japanese lawmaker drinks decontaminated water from Fukushima

A Japanese lawmaker drank up a glass of decontaminated water from a crippled nuclear power plant to show it was safe, news reports said Tuesday.

Yasuhiro Sonoda, parliamentary secretary who is a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, drank the water during a news conference at the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co.

As reporters asked Sonoda about the safety of the decontaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, he responded on Monday by drinking the water to apparently prove it, DPA reported.

The plant has been leaking radioactive material since it was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to leave the area.

The water in Sonoda's glass was taken from a temporary storage tank at the plant on October 22 and then boiled to sterilize it, major daily Mainichi reported, citing the operator. The water had been desalinized and also contained no detectable radioactive iodine or caesium, the paper said.